“A society grows great when old men plant trees
whose shade they know they shall never sit in”.
Meet The Trees of
REDWOOD
PARK
We hope you enjoyed your visit to
Redwood Park today, and that you
learned something new about the
amazing trees that live here!
– Greek Proverb
Twin brothers, David and Peter Brown, began their
stunning collection of trees in 1893 with the Redwood Grove, grown from mere seedlings they collected in California. While they were still young men
(just 21 years old), they began growing this sanctuary. It became a park in 1959 and since then it has
become an outstanding community legacy. Now
with 50 different species of trees, both native and
exotic, and five towering groves, Redwood Park is
a beautiful place of discovery for people of all ages.
If you are interested in meeting more
trees, visit our other arboretum at the
Surrey Nature Centre at Green Timbers
(14255 – 96 Ave).
For more information about this or
any of Surrey’s other parks, please call
Thank you Brown Brothers for creating this treelover’s paradise!
604-501-5050
Seasonal Wonders
Spring
Come to Redwood Park in spring to awaken your senses. Take in the vibrant colours of new leaves budding, the sweet fragrance of bright flowers opening,
and the melodic call of birdsong.
Summer
Escape the day’s heat by strolling through the shady
trails. Bring a picnic and laze the day away in this timeless sanctuary.
Fall
You can’t pass up seeing the deciduous trees in fall. They
know how to put on a show as they shed their leaves in
a blaze of glory to prepare for the winter ahead.
Winter
Printed in Canada on recycled paper
After a good snowfall, be sure to check out Redwood’s
hill for some tobogganing fun! Keep your eyes out for
overwintering birds and mammals, which can be easier
to spot with the leaves out of the way.
Answer:
(hint: look for
Answer:
on the map)
This tree may be
medicinal, but the
berries are toxic!
This cone is one of a kind!
Answer:
Answer:
(hint: look for
(hint: look for
(hint: look for
on the map)
on the map)
on the map)
These cones need
a forest fire to open up!
These flowers aren’t
what they seem!
Answer:
Answer:
(hint: look for
(hint: look for
How about returning the favour? Try to spend more
time looking at trees and learning about them. Once
you do, you’ll understand why they’re so important
to keep around.
on the map)
These scaly leaves have
inspired many names!
this tree?
Can You see
on the map)
This bark’s style
gives the tree its name!
Trees do all kinds of great stuff for people! They
beautify our city, they clean the air we breathe, they
add value to our homes, and they provide valuable
habitat for local animals.
Be a Friend to the Trees
12848
www.surrey.ca/naturematters
t h e t r e e s o f r e dw o o d pa r k
Douglas Fir
Noble Fir
English Walnut
European Beech Grove
The Douglas-Fir cone is one of a kind. Legend
has it that long ago, tiny mice used the cones
as hiding places! Look for the cones on the
ground or in the branches. Can you see the mice still hidden there?
You probably don't recognize this tree at this
height, but it's one of the most popular Christmas trees!
This English Walnut stands out beautifully
in the meadow. Bring a picnic and enjoy its
shade for a while.
In early fall, look for this tree's prickly fruits,
which are called Beechnuts. They are a good
food source for all kinds of local wildlife.
Western White Pine
This is the state tree of Idaho, and is sometimes known as the Idaho Pine.
Lawson Cypress
Also known as Port Orford Cypress, named
after Port Orford, Oregon, the place of its
original discovery.
Red Oak
Hiba Arborvitae
This spooky looking Black Walnut Grove is
actually a welcome paradise to some. The
walnuts are a great source of food for local
wildlife. Do you see any animals enjoying
walnuts today?
This Japanese tree has scaly leaves, which
have inspired other names, such as deerhorn
cedar and battle axe cedar.
Atlas Cedar
When you see a meadow - a mowed grassy
area - feel free to get off the trail to run and
play!
Monkey Puzzle
Incense Cedar
Climbing this tree would puzzle a monkey! Its
tough, pointy leaves have razor sharp edges,
which evolved during the age of the dinosaurs
as a defence against hungry dino’s.
Named for its fragrant sap, this tree is important for lumber, especially for pencils.
Tree House
A stand-out tree in this meadow. View it in
early autumn for a shock of gold amidst all the
green.
The Brown brothers actually lived in this forest
in a two-storey tree house that they named
“The Hotel”. The original burned down years
ago, but the replacement is still pretty neat!
The Butternut is considered an endangered
species in Canada! It's threatened by "Butternut Canker", a disease caused by a certain
type of fungus.
Poplar wood is commonly used for a variety
of products from matches to snowboards.
Black Walnut Grove
In Morroco and Algeria, this tree is important
habitat to the endangered Barbary Macaque
(a type of monkey). Do you see any animals
using it for habitat in our park?
Meadow
Butternut
Black Poplar
The Red Oak can be recognized by its bark,
which has ridges with shiny stripes down the
centre. Do you see any shiny stripes?
Fairy Forest
Gnomes and Fairies are hard to see because
they're so shy, but if you look carefully, you
may be able to spot some traces of them.
Chinese Chestnut Grove
Garry Oak
One of Redwood Park's five groves. The
chestnuts are similar to the ones that we
roast and eat, but you may not recognize
them when they’re in their spiky cases.
Look on the ground around the tree, do you
see any?
The Garry Oak is the only oak native to BC,
and only grows naturally in a small area on
Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf
Islands.
Shagbark Hickory
Japanese Larch
When you see this eastern American native,
you'll know where it gets its name!
These trees look like evergreens, but they
actually drop their feathery leaves in the fall.
Wych Elm
20th ave
(0.65km, 10mins)
european
beech grove
family fun loop
parking
lot
forest
(1.27km, 15mins)
lawn
giant sequoia
grove
european
ash grove
meadow
Norway Spruce
One of the oldest trees in the world is a
Norway Spruce in Sweden, named Old Tjikko.
Its roots were carbon dated to approximately
9,550 years old! The tree is thought to be a
result of "vegetative cloning", when a new tree
grows from old roots.
Red Pine
A way to tell the Red Pine apart from others is
to bend one of the needles. A Red Pine needle
will snap cleanly, while others will just bend.
Scots Pine
Also known as Scotch Pine, this tree is the
national tree of Scotland, and is the only type
of pine tree native to northern Europe.
Scouler’s Willow
This shrub-like native tree was used by the
Secwepemc people of BC for a variety of
things like smoking fish, building weirs, and
even acne treatments!
English Oak
Did you know that the fruit of Oak trees
(acorns) used to be eaten by people? But it
took so much work to make them tasty that
now we just leave them for the wildlife!
forest
all access paths
Bigleaf Maple
family fun loop
adventurer’s loop
trails
rugged trails
picnic shelters/tables
washrooms
playground
info
Water Fountain
This whimsical water fountain was donated to
the park. How many different animals can you
find on it?
The Okanagan people were known to use the
pitch of the Grand Fir on their bows to improve
their grip.
lawn
These very large trees (some over 300 feet
tall!) are important in the lumber industry. Its
wood was even used for the construction of
early airplanes!
Native to Japan and China, this tree's unique
heart-shaped leaves create a showy rainbow of
colours in the fall.
180th street
forest
Sitka Spruce
Katsura
Prayer of the Woods
Grand Fir
chinese
chestnut
grove
This tree's roots eliminate the competition by
making the ground around the tree toxic to
other plants, leaving plenty of room for its own seeds to grow.
This birch is named for its unique bark, which
sheds away in paper-like sheets.
This native tree has been prized by First Nations and settlers. Its versatile bark and wood
has been used for everything from baskets,
to shingles, and even clothing! Feel the bark;
would you like to wear it as a suit?
This "prayer" is a touching reminder of why
trees are so important to us all.
Visit an old fashioned tree house,
some real life giants, exotic and
fantastic trees, and top it all off with
playtime at the all-abilities playground.
Norway Maple
Paper Birch
Western Red cedar
These trees started it all! The first seedlings
the Brown brothers planted here were these
Giant Sequoias. Feel the spongy bark - it can
be up to 24 inches thick to protect the tree
from the forest fires that are needed to open
their cones!
Raywood Ash
Although this tree isn't native to North
America, it's now quite common thanks to its
popularity in the 1950's as a hedge-substitute.
This maple tree had to be cut down, but it left
a neat legacy! Can you count the tree rings to
see how old it was when it stopped growing?
Giant Sequoia (Sierra Redwood) Grove
Enjoy the scenic paved pathways that take
you past some amazing trees, to a welcoming
picnic area, and to the all-abilities playground.
Siberian Elm
Tree Rings
It's common to find European Ash trees with
either all male, or all female flowers, and the
tree can switch between male and female
from one season to the next.
ess road
all access paths
Native to the Caucasus region, some Nordmann Firs are reported to be 85 meters tall,
making them the tallest trees in Europe.
black walnut
grove
This tree is a survivor! People only knew about
this tree through fossils, and thought it was
extinct until 1944, when a small grove of live
ones was discovered in China!
European Ash Grove
park acc
Nordmann Fir
The long slender leaf-stalks of this tree provide
a striking effect as any small breeze can rustle
the leaves enough to display their silvery
undersides.
Dawn Redwood
The "flowers" of the Dogwood aren't what they
seem! The real flowers are tiny green clusters
surrounded by big white 'petals', which are
actually modified leaves, or bracts.
The bark of this native tree is used medicinally
for cancer treatment. Look for its bright red
berries, but don’t eat them! They’re poisonous
to people.
Silver Maple
The world's tallest living tree is a Coast
Redwood named Hyperion, at over 115 meters
(379 feet) tall in Redwood National Park in
California. Ours aren't quite as tall; they're still
just babies at less than 50 years old!
Flowering Dogwood
Pacific Yew
Also known as the Narrowleaf Ash, you can tell
this tree apart from European Ash by looking at
the buds. If they're pale brown, it's a Raywood
Ash.
Coast Redwood
16th avenue
adventurer’s loop
(1.45km, 20mins)
This rugged nature hike really gets the blood
pumping! Head past the tree house, check out
the view of the neighbouring farmland at the
bottom of the hill, and then hike back up to the
meadow. See if you can find some awesome
trees and secret groves on this rustic hike.
The leaves of this tree are the biggest of all the
maples, growing up to 30 centimetres across!